India skipper Virat Kohli has landed in controversy as he has been reportedly served a legal notice by Kerala High Court for promoting online rummy on Wednesday. The 32-year old is one of the most marketable athletes in the game and is the face of over dozen of brands. According to reports, Virat Kohli had topped the celebrity brand endorsement list last year.
But one of his endorsements has landed him in hot waters. On Wednesday, the Kerala High Court issued a notice to the batting star over a petition seeking a ban on online rummy. Besides Virat Kohli, the high court also handed notices to actors Thammanna and Aju Vargheese after victims of the online game alleged that brand ambassadors have played an integral role in making sure youngsters remained hooked to the game.
Hearing on the petition seeking to prevent online rummy games, a division bench of Kerala High Court led by Chief Justice S Manikumar comprising Justice Anil K Narendran handed the legal notice to the Indian cricket team captain. Pauly Vadakkan, a Thrissur native who filed the petition told news agency ANI that online rummy games are becoming more popular and should be legally prohibited.
“Other states have done the same. Kerala has a 1960 law. But no other steps have been taken. It does not include the topic of online rummy. The stars, who are the brand ambassadors, attracted the audience and took part in the competition. Online Rummy is within the limits of gambling,” he added.
This is not the first time that Virat Kohli has been slapped with a legal notice for his endorsement. Earlier, he was handed a notice from the Madras High Court for promoting fantasy league apps. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli will return to action next month when India take on England in the Test series. He has not played since the first Test in Australia last month.